David Archambeau/For the Gazette Michigan Tech’s Trenton Bliss (23) scores a goal against Northern Michigan’s Rico DiMatteo during a game Friday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. Michigan Tech’s Brian Halonen (12) and Tommy Parrottino look on in support.

HOUGHTON — Some nights are just like that. Friday night, the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team evened things with just 66 seconds left in regulation, but then surrendered a goal just 1:24 into the 3-on-3 overtime to fall to the visiting Northern Michigan Wildcats at MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

The Huskies, who had won the previous eight meetings between the two squads, threw seemingly everything at Wildcats goaltender Rico DiMatteo, but just like they had against Ethan Langenegger of Lake Superior State seven days earlier, they managed just two goals, which proved to not be enough to come away with the victory.

Still, Huskies coach Joe Shawhan felt encouraged by the effort his team put forth in the overtime loss.

“I give our guys a ton of credit,” he said. “That point, hopefully, will be a big point for us that we fought, that our guys fought hard for.

“Again, I can’t question their effort and their will to win. I’m not going to get down. I’m not going to get frustrated. We just have to keep working hard and keep battling through this.”

The game-winning goal came off the stick of Wildcats’ winger A.J. Vanderbeck, who created time and space while entering the Huskies’ defensive zone with the puck. With Hank Crone creating a traffic jam in the slot by driving hard, Vanderbeck was able to slow down and use the traffic as a bit of screen, firing a wrist shot that beat Huskies goaltender Blake Pietila over the right shoulder.

Shawhan felt that Pietila, who made 19 saves in the contest, did not get a good look at the incoming shot.

“I could see how Blake played it,” said Shawhan. “He was more centered on the body, it looked to me, than he was on the puck. Because he couldn’t see where the puck was exactly at, that guy made a shot and got it through the defender.”

The Huskies (5-2-2 overall, 2-1-1 CCHA) fell behind 10:44 into the contest when they surrendered their first power play goal of the season. Ben Newhouse fired a shot from the left point shortly after a faceoff that found its way through traffic in the slot and past Pietila.

Co-captain Trenton Bliss evened the contest at 18:42 of the first period by jumping on a rebound and burying it past DiMatteo. The play was set up by a shot from senior winger Tommy Parrottino’s shot that rebounded off of senior winger Brian Halonen and right to Bliss.

For Bliss, the goal was his third of the year and second in as many games.

“(It’s) just being patient,” he said, “trusting my linemates to get the job done, get shots on net, and, (being in the) right place at the right time.

“That’s where the majority of goals are scored nowadays is in that paint area. It’s not easy. You (have) got to fight to get inside positioning. So, that’s been kind of our emphasis. We’ve been kind of struggling to get goals of late.”

The Wildcats (4-6-1 overall, 2-5-1 CCHA) regained the lead late in the second period when Vanderbeck jumped on a rebound off a shot from sophomore defenseman Brett Thorne and threw the puck down the ice to Crone, who got behind the Huskies’ defense. The pass hopped over a diving Bliss before Crone knocked it down, skated in alone and beat Pietila with a backhand deke at 18:55.

The game remained 2-1 in favor of the Wildcats until Shawhan pulled Pietila for an extra attacker in the closing 2:47 of regulation. For well over a minute, the Huskies held possession of the puck, created traffic in the slot, and attacked DiMatteo looking for a hole to knock it through.

Sophomore winger Ryland Mosley finally found that hole with 1:06 left, sending the crowd into a euphoric frenzy.

The goal was just the type of effort Shawhan wants to see from his team every time they enter the offensive zone.

“It’s little things,” he said. “It’s getting that puck behind the goaltender and over the line and in between the pipes. So we have to keep continuing to work on that.”

Scoring

NMU 1 1 0 1 – 3

MTU 1 0 1 0 – 2

First period

1, NMU, Ben Newhouse (Hank Crone, A.J. Vanderbeck), PP, 10:43

2, MTU, Trenton Bliss (Brian Halonen, Tommy Parrottino), 18:42

Second period

3, NMU, Crone (Vanderbeck), 18:55

Third period

4, MTU, Ryland Mosley (Brett Thorne, Halonen), 18:54

Overtime

5, NMU, Vanderbeck, 1:24

Saves

DiMatteo, NMU 16 9 15 0 – 40

Pietila, MTU 5 5 6 0 – 16

Power plays

NMU: 1/4; MTU: 0/2

Penalties

NMU: 4/8; MTU: 6/12

Huskies score four straight to earn 5-2 win Saturday against Wildcats

MARQUETTE — On Saturday, the Huskies jumped out to an early lead, fell behind just about halfway through the contest, only to storm back and score four straight goals to earn a split at the Berry Events Center.

Junior center Logan Pietila got the Huskies on the board 11:38 into the contest. The Huskies held that lead until goals just over four minutes apart from Hampus Ericksson and Crone, while on the power play, gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead in the second period.

Looking to respond, the Huskies did just that less than a minute apart on consecutive power plays. Bliss scored his fifth power play goal and eighth career goal against the Wildcats at 14:09. His tally was followed up just 55 seconds later when sophomore center Arvid Caderoth stuffed one home.

Pietila struck again 14:44 into the third period, giving the Huskies some breathing room. The Wildcats pulled DiMatteo about a minute later, but the move backfired as Halonen got loose and deposited a puck into the empty net at 17:56, sealing the win.